“Meneer, It’s Been a Week Since I Came Here, Why Don’t You Say Welcome to Me?”: Familial Narratives and Identity of Labor Migration from Turkey to the Netherlands

Migration is a transformative event that reshapes life paths. In this study, it is explored through the experiences of labor migrants from Turkey who settled in the Netherlands in the 1960s and 1970s. This research aims to 1) study how individual experiences of migration from Turkey to the Netherlands are recollected and thus linguistically encoded in the present narratives of the first generation; and to 2) study how these narratives are built in the identity of the second generation and what this tells us about familial narrative. Semi-structured interviews with 14 informants from six families – eight from the first generation and six from the second – investigate these aspects. First generation accounts reveal journeys characterized by hardship, resilience, and aspirations for better opportunities, accompanied by emotional ties to Turkey and varied interactions within Dutch society. Second generation narratives show continuity, adding to the collective memory, mixed with gaps in...Show moreMigration is a transformative event that reshapes life paths. In this study, it is explored through the experiences of labor migrants from Turkey who settled in the Netherlands in the 1960s and 1970s. This research aims to 1) study how individual experiences of migration from Turkey to the Netherlands are recollected and thus linguistically encoded in the present narratives of the first generation; and to 2) study how these narratives are built in the identity of the second generation and what this tells us about familial narrative. Semi-structured interviews with 14 informants from six families – eight from the first generation and six from the second – investigate these aspects. First generation accounts reveal journeys characterized by hardship, resilience, and aspirations for better opportunities, accompanied by emotional ties to Turkey and varied interactions within Dutch society. Second generation narratives show continuity, adding to the collective memory, mixed with gaps in knowledge about parental experiences, and reflecting empathy and pride despite occasional distance from their parents’ stories. While the study acknowledges emotional depth in first generation stories, it finds that the second generations’ responses are varied, yet they suggest the presence of familial narrative that constructs identity intertwined with personal reflections and individual growth. Future research could explore subsequent generations’ perspectives and include diverse migration contexts, enriching the understanding of migration’s origins and impacts.Show less

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“Meneer, It’s Been a Week Since I Came Here, Why Don’t You Say Welcome to Me?”: Familial Narratives and Identity of Labor Migration from Turkey to the Netherlands